Many of "a certain age" will read the name Tony Hadley and feel an instant warmth come over them, like they heard great news of an old friend. That same feeling will come to others when I mention he was the voice behind Spandau Ballet, one of the great Pop bands of the 1980s. The band was part of the New Romantics movement, a musical subset of the New Wave movement coming out of the UK. The band was best know for their huge 1983 hit, "True". But like many bands of the tie, they had a tough time following up their early success, and by 1989, they broke up.
Spandau Ballet
Hadley went on to a solo career, releasing albums in the 1990s and 2000s. One of those was a nostalgic look back to the Jazz/Swings classics. 'Passing Strangers' was a perfect match for Hadley's crisp vocals, showing off his pitch-perfect style with a depth that enriched the songs. Check out the title track from the album, written by Rita Mann and Mel Mitchell. On the album, Hadley was joined by the Paul Moran Big Band.
Hadley also included a song written in 1956 as part of the score for the Broadway musical Mr. Wonderful starring Sammy Davis, Jr. It was also a hit single by the wonderful Eydie Gormé, Yes, the wonderful song "Too Close For Comfort" is a perfect addition to the album.
Another of the great songs included was from the 1940 Rodgers and Hart musical 'Pal Joey'. It wuickly was ssung by some of the greatest names in music, becoming a strong entry in the Great American Songbook. He does a beautiful job with "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered".
'Passing Strangers' can be found on Amazon. You can order the physical CD here.
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